Multiple lane wrapping machine and method



Feb. 22, 1949. s. J. CAMPBELL MULTIPLE LANE WRAFPING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Aug. 17, 1942 BY M, 7 MA ATTORN :Ya.

& 1 PM a Z m mw N6 S E a v d NJ k 6 m Feb. 22, 1949.

S. J. CAMPBELL MULTIPLE LANE WRAPPING MACHINE AND METHOD 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 17, 1942 NR QN INVENTQR J/QMUEL J Can as.

: BY 5 AM AMY/M ATTORNEY.

Feb. 22; 1949.

5. J. CAMPBELL MULTIPLE LANE WRAPPING MACHINE AND METHOD 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 17, 1942 ATTORNEY$ Feb; 22, 1949. 5. J. CAMPBELL j 2,462,254

MULTIPLE LANE WRAPPING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Aug. 17, 1942 e Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR jfi/VQEA. J Ca /paw A'i'ToRNEYQ S. J. CAMPBELL MULTIPLE LANE WRAPPING MACHINE AND METHOD Feb. 22, 1949.

6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 17, 1942 I INVENTOR J/JMUEA J 69/798544 B Y M, AM/M ATTORNEY5.

S- J. CAMPBELL MULTIPLE LANE WRAPPING MACHINE AND METHOD Feb. 22, 1949.

Filed Aug. 17, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR 55/7054. 66/ 7/ 564.

w ATTORNEYS.

l atentecl Feb. 22, l94

UNITED STATES OFFICE;

MULTIPLE LAN E WRAPPINGMACHINE AND METHOD 24 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in wrapping and sealing machines and methods.

One of the important objects of the present invention is to provide a multiple lane wrapping machine adapted to wrap a number of articles simultaneously in each of a plurality of lanes, using wrapper strips cut from a single web and suitably separated to provide clearance between the lanes.

It isanother obj ectof the invention to provide a novel arrangement whereby the machine may be-adjusted to wrap articles diifering somewhat asto size.

Another object of the invention has reference to improvements in the specific folding mechanismfor conveniently and simply pleating the Wrapper at each end of the wrapped article to facilitate the folding of-the wrapper upon the article to be sealed.

Another object of the invention relates to improvements in the cut-01f knivesto enable them to operate with adequate strength in limited quarters. It is also my purpose to provide novel and improvedsealing methods and means whereby the Wrapper ends are sealed, preferably thermo-plastically, at the time the tube wrapping strip is cut.

Still other objects of the invention relate to improvements in the means for synchronizing the movement of the articles in the several lanes and'to improvements in the apparatus for feeding such articles. Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following disclosure of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of the entire apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a View of the machine in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is an enlargeddetailview in longitudinal section of that portion of the machine in which the articles and'wrapping web are fed into the machine and the wrapping accomplished.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view in plan of that portion of the machine in which Wrapping is accomplished.

Fig. 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary detail in longitudinal section through the cut-oif knives.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail partially in end elevation and partially in section, showing portions of the cut-oil knives and their mountings on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail-view in cross section showing the infeed-conveyor mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a view taken on line 3-4! of Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a detail view taken in section on line 99 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 is a View taken in transverse section on the line-I0-lll of Fig. i.

Fig. 11 is a View taken in section on the line J!-'-I l--of'Fig. l0.

.ltiig; 1211512.. detailed .view taken on line l2-I2";

of Fig. 1 l.

l3 1 is a detail :view .in transverse section through :the apparatus. .which' clamps the folded wrapper.- ends .on to the top. of the package for:

sealing-"purposes:

Fig.1 l showszseparately :the lowerv and :upper spreadelnplates which spread .apart .the. wrapping stripsislit'from the original full width wrapping web.

Figrl a .plan.:view showing. the f oldingmembers associated in their) normal superimposedrelation. r

Fig. 16 .is. a-.fr.agmentary detailin cross section through the strips on the linedfiz-AfitofFig. 15;.

Fig. 171is a.diagrammatic View in perspective, illustratinglthe. successive :steps. involved in the operation of the. device;

.Like parts. are designatedbythe-same reference characters throughout. the several .vie-wsl the. machine herein disclosed is-adapted forawrapping.manydifferent products, it-will bedescribedwith reference. to the wrapping of candy barsby way of exemplifying the invention. The candy barszenter. the machine. across a feed table 2-ll':which comprises a frame supportedat itsouter end by;1egs1.2;I' and provided with rollers ZZ-and 23 for. aEeedconveyor beltfld: Gross bars Hand 26 supportside guidesz'i andipartition g-uides'-28-; 2.9-amd'.3i; the severalguides defining feedways at;3;i,..32., 3.3 and .134; for the-.candy-barsor' other articles-to. wrapped: These feedways approximater. thearticles in width so that the articles become longitudinally aligned parallel to-the axis of the =machineuponzenteringthe f eedw-ays.

.Before the articles leave the conveyor belt 24, where such belt passesaround pulley'23, the articles are arrested asto movement and-trans versely 'a ligned by. a starting gate 35 w-hiChnormally; restsacrosstheir path butis connected with. the armature. 36 of the solenoid 31*" to be raised: at intervalsas the solenoid is energized,

thereby concurrently releasing the several articles upon: the: several; paths so that they may be wrappediisimultaneously. During the interval for which-the movement of: a given set of articles is arrested by'the'starting-gate 35, thefeed belt 24 slides beneath thearticles. The starting gate 3 5 mayvcomprise apiece of angle iron as indicated in:Fig..2. The solenoid is carried by a suitable bracket. also: shown in Fig. 2 from the 'feed table 20.

Starting. gate 3.5 is positioned-directly above a transfer conveyor belt. fiaiwhich moves more rapidlysthanthe feedingyoonveyor 2.4; so that assoon asthestarting gateisi'aisedithe articles are' ad. vanced rapidly and-delivered fromlthe transfer ,be1t,:38.-.onto.individual-feedtroughs 39 (Figs. 1, 3jand 17). Fig. 17. showsthe severalarticles-AO transversely alignedas. they. enter. their respec- -ried by the cross shaft 48.

3 tive troughs 39. The transfer belt 38 may be guided at its input end over a stationary block 4| which provides a curve of less radius than any ordinary pulley, thereby enabling the transfer belt 38 to be brought into immediate proximity to the feeding belt 24. r

The several troughs 39 may have converging side walls as best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 17. They are also preferably downwardly inclined as best shown in Fig. 3. Their pitch, however, is not sufiicient to feed the articles by gravity and the articles are propelled in unison down the several troughs by the depending arms 43 of an overhead conveyor belt 44 operating over pulleys 45 and 46 and contributing importantly to the timing of the apparatus, as will hereinafter be explained. The several cross arms 43 are pivotally supported upon sleeves 41 mounted on cross shafts 48 of the conveyor 44, as best shown in Fig. '7. A torsion spring 49 acts on the sleeve to urge it toward a position where the bar 50, connecting the several arms 43, will engage the stop car- The torsion spring provides sufficient tension to enable the arms 43 normally to propel the work down the several troughs 39 but enables the connecting bar 50 and the arms 43 to yield rearwardly with respect to the direction of conveyor travel when an obstruction is encountered.

Projecting inwardly from the machine frame is a fixed stop pin 52 engaged by the finger 53 of sleeve 47 at the point where the cross pin 48 and the arms carried thereby begin to change direction to pass around the pulley 45 at the discharge end of the conveyor. But for this arrangement, the change of direction would result in advancing the arms suddenly (due to the change in angle) thereby abruptly increasing the velocity of movement of the work pieces. Because of the presence of the stop 52 (Fig. 3 and Fig. 7) the movement of the fingers 43 is momentarily arrested while the conveyor continues its movement until the finger 53 clears the stop pin 52. Meantime the several arms 43 will have been deflected backwardly with respect to the conveyor so that they will be virtually tangent to the pulley 45 instead of radial thereto. In the interim the work will have cleared the arms, so that when the arms are released and spring back to their original positions they will not affect the movement of the work.

At the ends of the respective troughs 39 the work pieces will be fed onto the individual strips of wrapping material in which they are ultimately to be wrapped. The wrapping material is initially supplied from a large parent roll 55 which may have been printed with the wrapper designs for a number of series of wrappers corresponding to the number of feed troughs 39 (four in this instance). The several wrapper designs may be aligned transversely as shown in Fig. 17 and repeated from end to end of the web comprising the roll 55.

From the parent r011 the web passes over an idler pulley 56, past a light source 5'! and a photoelectric cell 58 used for synchronizing th movement of the web and the material to be wrapped in a manner hereinafter to be explained. Thence the web passes over a matrix roll 59 with which cooperate a sufiicient number of slitting knives 60 to divide the web longitudinally into a number of strips corresponding to the number of troughs 39 through which the articles 40 are fed to the wrapping station. Since four troughs are shown, the particular machine employs three of the slitting knives 60 to cut the web into four strips or ribbons.

The individual strips or ribbons each of which contains a succession of wrapper designs placed end ,to end, passes beneath the guide roll BI to a pair of spreader bars 62 and 63 which are shown in detail in Figs. 14 and 15. These spreader bars are interchangeable with others for varying the spacing of the individual wrapper strips according to the width desired for wrapping any particular set of objects. To facilitate interchangeability of the bars 62 and 63, these are preferably detachably mounted in brackets 64 such as the one shown in Fig. 16.

Referring back to Fig. 14.- and Fig. 15, it will be noted that the folding bar 62 is provided at each side of the longitudinal center line of the machine with rounded stationary web guiding surfaces 65 and 66 which are slightly oblique at an obtuse angleto each other and something less than degrees with respect to the center line of the machine.

Immediately outside of these surfaces are the rounded guide surfaces 51 and 68 which deviate at greater angles from a line normal to the longitudinal machine axis. Despite the difference in angularity of the several surfaces 65 and 61 on the one hand, and 86 and 68 on the other, the mid points of the several surfaces are substantially equi-distant from the roll 59 about which the several strips of web material have passed. Thus, in passing about the several surfaces, the different webs all change direction at the same time, although each takes a slightly different direction in leaving the folding bar 62.

Immediately above the folding bar 62 is the bar 63 which has surfaces parallel to the several turning surfaces of bar 62 but slightly offset therefrom toward the sides of the machine.

Thus, surfaces 15 and 16 of bar 63 are parallel and 66, so that the outer turning surfaces 11 and 18 of bar 63 (which correspond to surfaces 61 and 68 of bar 62 in direction) are still further offset toward the sides of the machine.

The several strips or ribbons of wrapping material which are designated by reference characters 10, 1|, l2, and 13 of Fig. 15, initially have their edges in juxta-position where they were formed by the slitting knives. In passing over the spreader bar 62, these strips will be caused to move angularly outwardly away from each other, but in passing over the second spreader bar 63 these strips will be returned to parallelism and will be somewhat spaced from each other due to the period of movement from one bar to the other during which the margins of the several strips are mutually divergent. This spreading moves the individual wrapping bands or strips far enough apart to permit them to be manipulated individually with respect to the work pieces. If the dimensions of the individual work pieces are varied, a different spacing between the strips 10, H, 12, 13, may be required, and for this purpose other spreading bar sets may be substituted to provide exactly the desired spacing, while still delivering the strips ultimately to the work in perfect parallelism as shown at the right in Fig. 15.

The several strips of wrapping. material, after being spread.- in. passing the bars 62 and 63, pass over a roll 79 upon which glue rolls Bil apply glue tothe margins of the strips. Thereupon the several strips pass back over the upper surface roll B-l into contact with the under surfaces of the several troughs 39 which are centered with respect to the several strips and consequently do not touch the glued side margins thereof.

Becausethe roll 6! is at a higher level than the lower ends of the several troughs 39 over.

which the several-wrapping strips are drawn, the wrapping strips are channeled about the delivery ends of the respective troughs, the glued sides of the strips being folded upwardly as indicated at 82 in Fig. 1'7. Thus, as the several work pieces 40 are propelled by the arms 43 down the troughs, they are ultimately delivered from the ends of their respective troughs into the channeled wrapping strips 70, H, 12 and 13; and are propelled by the wrapping strips when the fingers 43 are arrested and ultimately moved upwardly away from the troughs in the manner already described.

Immediately beyond the ends'of the troughs are individual wrapping tables 83 having side pressure conveyors 84 and 85 guided at their respective ends about upright pulleys 86 and 81, these conveyors serving to hold the channeled portions of thewrappers tightly to the sides of the work as the work and the wrappers progress through the folding mechanism. Additional lateral pressure is provided by the spring supported shoes 88 (Fig. 4).

Supported upon each of the tables 83 by suitable brackets 89 shown in Figs. 4 and 9, are the folding blades 90 and 9| which operate in a manner well known to the art to fold the sides of the. web strip over each other upon the work. As viewed in Fig. 9, the side of the web strip which is at the left is folded against the work by the blade 90, while the side of the web which is at the right intervenes between blades 90 and 9|, being thereby folded on top of the inwardly folded margin from the left. This brings the glued surface along the right hand margin of l the web strip into contact with the material of the left hand margin of the web strip as the web strip leaves the folding blades 90 and 9|. Pressure plates, preferably made of resilient material, are provided at 93, and in order that their pressure may be regulated these may be pivoted to a cross bar 94 of the machine frame and subject to the action of weights 95' to exert a determinable pressure on the adhesively joined wrapper margins to hold these together as the work passes beneath the pressure plates until the adhesive sets.

As the work leaves the pressure plate 93, the work pieces are encased in a continuous tube of wrapping material closed above the work pieces by the gluing of the margins of the web strips as just described.

After the end tube work pieces leave the wrapper tubing table 83, the tube wrapper and the end, tube work pieces pass a device which severs the tube wrapper between work pieces and simultaneously seals its severed ends. Details of this device are best shown in Figs. 3, and 6.

At the same time that the wrapper designs are printed upon the wrapping web 55 (or at any other time) the web 55 is provided with a series of longitudinally spaced transversely extending bands 91 of thermo-plastic adhesive. The material used is preferably non-adhesive at g ordinary atmospheric temperature but may be rendered adhesive by the application of. heat. Shellac is one of the simple, well known forms of such an adhesive. Even paraffin is usable, and numerous others are employed in mending. tissues, mounting tissues, andthe like. Thesame' band, colored, may be usedto energize thephotoelectric registering mechanism which includesthe light source 51 and the cell 58 already described, together with other mechanism not yet described.

In any event, the machine is so synchronized that the bands 97 come midway between the articles entubed in their respective wrapping strips and at-tlie precise point atwhich the tube is-to be severed.

Upper and lower cutter rolls 98 and 99: are provided. In order to reduce to aminimum the gap which the work must span in its longitudinal travel through the machine, the diameters of rolls- 98 and 99 are very small in proportion to 'the load that they must sustain. Roll 98 carries a pinchknife iiifl having a wedge-like point which engages an anvil blade HM carried by roll 99. Both blades are replaceable and the knife N is adjustable diametrically of its roll.

Flanking the pinch knife Ian at each side is a heating iron I02 internally heated by resistance coils I03. These coils are supplied with current by a commutator arrangement I94 shown in Fig. 6.

When the pinch knife E00 and the anvil blade l9! are out of registry with each other in the course of rotation of their respective rolls 98 and- @9, the portion of the tubular wrapper in which a candy bar is engaged will readily feed between rolls 98 and 99 out of contact therewith, the portion of the wrapper between the entubed candy bars remaining in the form of an open and uncompressd tube. Immediately before this inter vening tubular portion of the wrapper is compressed by the pinch off and sealing mechanism; it is pleated from the sides to the-form clearly appearing in Figs. 5 and 1'7. This is done by the pleating disks ml which are carried by levers l 2l pivoted at 122 to the frame member I23 upon which the pressure plates 93 are also carried. The levers 52! are curved to pass about thepulleys 8-1 over which the belts 8 5 and 85 operate. Tension springs I bias the levers IZI toward each other in pairs and thereby regulate the extent of the pleating pressure exerted by the disks I20 upon the work. The levers l2| are retracted against the bias of their springs if?) by reciprocable act-uating rods I 2t and I2! which have pins projecting upwardly into engagement with the respective levers l2! as shown in Fig. 4. These rods are connect them to cranks ltd and |3l on a crank disk I32 on rock shaft i33 (see Figs, 4 and 8). The rock shaft is controlled by a rocker arm I35 actuated in one direction of oscillation by a tension spring i3 3 and in the other direction by a cam follower roller l3? and a cam I33 on shaft 1-39. As shown in Fig. 8, the cam has alow point of iimited extent. Throughout most of the cam periphery the cam follower roller rides at a uniform radiusfrom the center of shaft 139-, therebyholding the levers l2! and the pleating'disks I29 retracted from the positionin which they" are illustrated in Fig. 4. When: the cam follower roller l3? drops into the pocket on theperiphery of cam 138, the tension of spring l-35 sharply oscillates the rock shaft i 33 and this motion, com municated to the slide rods H26 and I21 by links i213 and I29, allows the levers i2l' to springinwa-rdly so' that" the pleating disks I20 form'longi tudirial pleats in the sides of the tube wrapper between the work members and tube therein. This happens immediately prior to the engagement of the wrappers by the pinch knife I and its complementary blade IIJI, so that when such engagement occurs the wrapper pleats are creased neatly as indicated at I40 in Fig. 17.

As the pinch knife I00 contacts the complementary blade IOI to pinch off the tube wrappers (incidentally flattenin the wrapper and setting the crease) the sealing irons I02 heat the thermoplastic band sufficiently to set the thermo-plastic adhesive, thereby sealing the ends of the short lengths of tube resulting from the pinch-off operation.

While a pinch-off knife set is preferred to shearing or cutting knives because it facilitates the thermo-plastic sealing of the ends of the short tube lengths in which the candy bars are disposed, the use of pinch-off knife sets is not essential to the invention.

Because of the small diameter of the rolls 98 and 99 for the purposes aforesaid, and because of the very heavy pressure to which such rolls are subject due'to the use of pinch knives, it is preferred to provide support or backing for the rolls and knives to keep the rolls from springing during the pinch-off operation. Accordingly .I operate upper and lower rolls I85 and I06 in synchronism with rolls 98 and 99, and I provide on rolls I05 and I06 immediately above the paths of the several tube wrappers which are to be cut, cams I81 and I08 respectively, these being so positioned that as the pinch knife I00 approaches registry with the anvil plate IOI for the pinching operation, the cam I61 engages the upper surface of roll 98 while the cam I08 engages the lower surface of roll 99, thereby providing support and backing in the diametrical plane in which the reaction thrust becomes effective.

The broad belt I I0 receives the individual work pieces from all of the several channels after the tubular wrapper is severed and the ends sealed about the candy therein contained. Belt I I0 operates over pulleys on shafts III and H2. Rotary brushes I I3 on shaft I I6 operate immediately over thereceiving end of belt IIO to assist in drawing the wrapped work pieces onto belt I I 0 and across the gap in which the severing and sealing mechanism operates. The flexible bristles of the brushes H5 do not damage the relatively soft candy bars and yet exert enough pressure to keep the'bars from tiltin or becoming displaced and to hold their leading ends to the belt IIIJ until the work pieces are firmly positioned upon the belt.

To complete the folding of the ends of the creased and flattened and sealed wrappers, the partially wrapped work pieces now change direction, being fed laterally from the belt H0. The mechanism about to be described is best shown in Figs. 1, 2, 10 to 13, and 1'7.

As the several partially wrapped work pieces I4I move longitudinally of the machine upon the lines which they have followed thus far, they are uniformly spaced on the belt IIO as shown in Fig. 10. They are now engaged by the propelling lugs I42 of cross feed conveyors I43, the arrangement being such that half of each row of articles is moved to the right and half to the left for subsequent operations. The two mechanisms for completing the folding are identical and a description of one will serve for both.

The chains of cross conveyor I43 operate over suitable sprockets on shafts I45 and I46. Whereever necessary the chains are rigidly backed, as

v end by a gluing disk I50 (see Figs. 10 and 17).

Almost immediately thereafter the projecting ends I49 of the flattened and sealed wrapper are turned upwardly by the mechanism shown in Fig. 11.

Disposed crosswise over the guide table I48 is a shaft I52 carrying pinions I53 which are elongated axially of the shaft and at opposite sides of the path of travel of the work. Between such pinions is a rocker arm I54 which depends to a position for engagement by lug I55 carried by the conveyor I43, so that as the conveyor moves the work along the guide table I48 the shaft I52 will be oscillated in synchronism with the progress of the work pieces,

Meshing with the respective pinions I53 are a pair of racks I51 and a pair of racks I58. The racks I51 are normally elevated while the racks I58 are normally depressed, tension springs I59 connected to the racks I51 tending to maintain the normal positions of the parts.

Racks I51 carry downwardly moving tuckin blades I60, while racks I58 are provided with arms I6I which support upwardly movable tucking blades I62. The tucking blades I60 move downwardly close to the ends of the wrapped candy bar, while the tucking blades I62 move upwardly at points. slightly spaced outwardly from the paths upon which the blades I60 move. As the respective blades move downwardly and upwardly sufficiently to lap each other, the flattened and sealed ends I49 become turned directly upwardly as shown at I49 in'Fig. 17. As soon as the lug I55 clears the rocker arm I54 on the rock shaft I52, the tension springs I59 restore the folding blades to their original retracted positions in readiness for another operation upon a subse: quent work piece.

The partially wrapped work piece now continues its movement with its pleated, flattened and sealed ends folded upwardly as indicated at I59 in Fig. 13. As it progresses over the guide table I 48 it passes over a point where rock shafts I65 and I66 below the table support arms I 61 and I68 upon which sealing fingers I69 and I10 project at right angles. Shafts I66 carry pinions engaged by gears actuated by rocker arm "I and link I12, as shown in Fig. 13, this link being operated in synchronism with the advance of the work so that as the upturned ends I59 move into transverse registry with the fingers I69 and I10, the arms I61 and I68 are oscillated from their full line positions in Fig. 13 to the dotted line positions in Fig. 13, thereby folding the upturned ends I59 onto the upper surface of the wrapped bar I 4|, upon which glue has previously been deposited by the gluing disks I50. This completes the wrapping operation, and the completely wrapped article is indicated at I15 in Fig. 17.

It is still necessary, however, that the ends I59 be maintained in contact with the adhesively treated surface of the article for a sumcient period to enable the adhesive'to set. Accordingly. immediately after the ends have been pressed ara e into position by the mechanism shown in Fig. 13, the wrapped article I runs onto an inverting table I16 beneath the semi-circular guide bars H1. The inverting table is mounted on a shaft I18 which turns the article I15 upside down, the guide bars I'I'I meantime keeping its ends securely folded onto the face of the article.

As inversion is completed, the table I16 and the guide bars I'I'I discharge the article I15 onto the turntable I80 with the glued ends- I59 underneath, so that the weight of the candy bar maintains the fold until theglue sets. The turntable I80. rotates the bars about 90 degrees so that their length is no longer parallel to the major axis of the machine 'but is transverse f In this position, side by side, the comthereto. pleted products are delivered from the turn table onto the discharge conveyor I82.

All of this mechanism which completes the arranged as desired. In practice, the following organization has been found satisfactory.

A main motor I93 is belted to a shaft I84 carrying a pinion I85 which meshes with a large gear I96 on a shaft I8'I (Fig. 2). A cam I88 on this shaft actuates a lever I89 from which the link I'I 2 drives the lever III for the final folding and sealing mechanism just described and illustrated inFig. 13.

The shaft I81 likewise carries a sprocket which drives chain I99 to'operate shaft I9I from which numerous driving chains receive motion.

Shaft I9I is connected by a chain to drive shaft I92 whichis chain connected to shaft I93 bywhichthe output conveyor I82 is driven. Shaft 5991s also connected by bevel gearing to a shaft IM. from which a chain I95 drives conveyor shaft MB and shaft I" for the inverting table, this drivebeing duplicated at the opposite side of the machine.

Likewise driven by spiralgearing I96 (Fig. 10) from-shaft I94, is the turntable I80, this mechanism. also being duplicated at. the other side of the machine.

The shaft II2 carrying the pulley for the conveyorbelt IIIlQis chain operated from shaft I92 asshoyvn in Fig. 10.

The. various shafts forthe pinch-off and sealing mechanism areconnected by gearing as shown in Big. 2, the lowest shaft I96 in the serie s being drivenby chains from shaft I9I.

A ear on shaft I9} meshes with a gear on shaft I91 whichis connected by a chain with shaft I98 which carrie the pulley for the infeed conveyor dd, therebydriving the infeedg conveyor. A cam on shaft I98 operates switch I93 (Fig llfor energizing solenoid 31 to lift thestarting gate means to releasefa row of work pieces "for advance to positions of concurrent: engagement by the lugs qte nrey 4e- 3 Shaft I98 is also connected by a gear train shown Figs. 1 and 2, with shaft I99 for the matrix ro l 59 upon'which the broad wrapping web is slit. This shaft in turn is geared 'to shaft 29d over which the slit web is'guicled.

Conveyor'M transmitsmotion from its drive Ifitl to the shaft 992 upon which the sprockets- 46 .are'Imounted at its input end. Shaft. 29 is: geared" t6 shaft 2ll3xover which conveyor belt 38 operates. Shaft 29% is also chain connected to drive shaft 23 over which conveyorbelt 24 operates.

The gear train from shaft I98 is not directly connected to shaft I99 but is connected therewith through a differential gear set 295 to which a motor 296 provides a separate power input through shaft 291.. The arrangement is more particularly described in the companion application above identified, and is used to synchronize the movement of the. web over matrix roll 59 (shaft I99) to the movement of the work as represented by the candy bars fed into the wrapper by the propelling fingers 43 of conveyor 44.

As explained in the above identified companion application, the web movement may either be synchronized as closely as possible with the rate of candy bar input feed, or it may be set either to under-run or over-run the rate of candy barinput feed by a very slight amount. If synchronization isv attempted it may be necessary to make the motor reversible. Itis much easier to achieve accurate synchronization in practice if one feed normally differs from the other in a predetermined amount and a predetermined direction. In a suitable relay mechanism. not shown here but described more particularly. in my companion application aforesaid, the impulses generated in the photo-electric cell 58 by the. passage of the marking strips 9! imprinted on the wrapper will, after a given interval, act out of time with the impulses generated electrically by the engagement of suc-v cessive work propelling lugs on conveyor. with a switch 298 having an arm 299 in the path of such lugs. As long as the impulses from the photo-electric cell and the switch are in synchronism the motor 299 will remain unenergized, but as soon as such impulses are out of synchronism the motor 296 will be energized in such a direction as to deliver motion through the differential 295 into the matrix roll 8 which feeds the web and the motion will be in such a direction as to restore the electrical impulses of the switch and photo-electric cell to synchronism, whereupon the motor 206 will again remain at rest-until lack of synchronism re-estabishes itself due to the predetermined slight degree of overrun or underrun. as the case may be.

Reference has been made to the fact that the wrapping device as herein disclosed, is adjustable to handle different sizes of work pieces. Assuming that the device is used for the wrapping of candy bars, this bein the exemplification specifically discussed, it will be apparent that not a great deal of change of size will be required. The partitions 27, 28, 29 and 39 which guide the work along the infeed belt 24 may therefore be set sufficiently far apart to receive the largest work piece upon which the particular machine wil he designed to operate. Likewise, the troughs 39 which deliver the work pieces into'the channeled wrapping strips may have a cross section adapted to handle the max mum of work piece sizes which the'machine will be called upon to wrap.

The only actual adjustments required will or, dinarily be adjustments" of the wrapping mechanism itself, with particular reference to the belts 84 and andthe pulleys 85 and 81 over which.

amps-4 ordinarily involve an adjustment of the spacing between the belts 84 and 85.

Themachine frame is provided with transverse supports at 210 and 2 ll uponwhich the supportingbl ocks 2l2 and 2I3 respectively are slidable transversely of the machine (see Figs. 3 and 4). 'lifhereis one such block at each end of each belt and, as clearly indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, the blocks provide support for the respective pulleys 86 and 8'! beyond the endsof the associated tables 83, the tables, however, having tongue-like extensions 2M and H5 alongthe path of the work between the respective belts.

AdJ'ustable blocks U2 and H3 not only carry the spindle upon which the pulleys 8'! are fed, but blocks 2|3 also carry the driving connections for the pulleys 81. The driving cross shaft 220 is provided at suitable intervals with driving spiral gearsZZI splined thereto and connected for movement .with the respective blocks 2I3. Each driving spiral gear 22! meshes with a driven spiral pinion 222 on the spindle which operates a pulley 81 for one of the belts.

A manually operable adjusting screw 223 has a hand wheel 224 for its operation and is provided with right and left hand threads engaged by nut. elements 225connected with the respective blocks 2l3. A chain 226 connects the screw shaft 223 with a similar screw shaft 221 having like right and left hand threads engaged by nut elements 228 connected to the respective blocks M2 at the other ends of the respective belts. Thus, anyhand wheel operation in either direction will move the pairs of belts 84 and 85 respectively, toward or from each other at both ends to corresponding amounts, simultancouslyshifting along the drive shaft 220 the spiral gear pairs which provide power for each belt.

L No other part of the machine will ordinarily require adjustment. If, however, the size of the work piece is changed. extensively, it may be necessary to provide a different width of web in the wrapping 1'oll. 5 5 to vary the width of the stripinto which such web is divided. To .accomplishthis result,.it. is only necessary to adjustaxially of the cross shaft 230 the supports for the slitting rolls 60. Since theresulting wrapping strips slit from the web should accurately fit thesurfaces of the spreader bars 62 and 63 aboutwhich they move, the spreader bars are .madereadily interchangeable in their end bracket 64, as already described. It will. be apparent to those skilled in the art,.however, that within sub stantial limits. of variation such as are normally encounteredin candy bar wrapping, no change in the width of the individual wrapping strips will be necessary. It is likewise assumed that no change in length between the points of cut-off will be required, and it will be found that quite substantial changes in the length of the bar will make no 'diife'renc'e in the point at which the web is severed between bars by the pinch knife I 00.

In a broadsense, the thermo-plastic means for sealing'the' ends'of'the wrapper at the time of of connecting the wrapper ends- Specifically, however; the thermo-plastic seal isgreatly preferred to other end fastening expedients.

- It will-likewise be apparent to those skilled in the art that it isnot necessary that the means to-which..the photo-electric cell .responds for synchronizingthe movement of the web and the articles should constitute the thermo-plastic strip imprintedon the web .for later use in sealing the wrapping strips at the points of severance. Spen at cifically, however, the" machine and its operation are simplified by using a single imprint on the web for both functions. I

From the standpoint oi'method there are substantaial advantages in the operations above described. It is advantageous to print a single wrapper Web of a sufiicient width to provide wrappers for several articles to be wrapped concurrently, later dividing the web into individual strips and entubing the articles in such strips before cutting the stripsinto individual wrappers. It is also desirable to provide for the spacing of the individual wrapper strips to provide ample room for the wrapping function. It is also very desirable to seal, or at least to connect, the ends of the individual wrappers at the points and at the time of severance from the respective wrapping strips, even though such ends are additionally held closed by the final operation in whichthey are folded onto the upper surface 0 the work and glued in place. i

I claim: 4

1. In a multiple lane wrapping machine hav-' ing means for feeding a plurality of articles along adjacent paths, means for feeding a broad wrappingweb upon which individual wrapper designs are printed in adjacent series, and means for slitting said web into separate strips each containing a series of wrapper designs, the combination with means for laterally spacing the strips in the course of their advance, of means for tubing the respective strips about the successive articles fedupon the respective paths, means for cutting the respective strips between wrapper designs and between the articles entubed therein, and means for completing the packaging of the respective articles in the wrappers out from the respective strips.

2. In a multiple lane wrapping machine, the combination with a set of adjacent troughs and overhead conveyor means provided with work propelling fingers individual to the respective troughs for'advancing through said troughs work pieces supplied thereto, a web parent roll support adapted to carry a broad web of wrapping material, guide means for said Web including a matrix roll, at least one slitting roll coacting with the matrix roll for dividing said web into strips, guide means for the respective strips including means for spreading thestrips laterally in the course of their advance, propelling belt means laterally positioned in the path of article advance beyond said troughs and adapted to draw the individual wrapping strips across the ends of the respective troughs in channeled form, means for folding the edges of the respective strips over articles delivered therein from said troughs to entube such articles, and means for severing the strips intermediate the articles entubed therein, together with means for closing the severed ends of the portions of said strips in which articles are entubed.

- -3. In a multiple lane wrapping machine, the

cutmfi are only an exemplificafion of other means a combination with a set of adjacent troughs and overhead conveyor means provided with work propelling fingers individual to the respective troughs for advancing through said troughs work pieces supplied thereto, a'web parent roll support adapted to carry a broad web of wrapping material, guide means for said web including a matrix roll, at least one'slitting roll' coacting with the matrix roll for dividing said web into strips, guide means for the respective strips including means for spreading the strips laterally in the course of their advance, propelling belt means laterally positioned in the path of article advance beyond said troughs and adapted to draw the individual wrapping strips across the ends of the respective troughs in channeled form-means for folding the edges of the respective strips over articles delivere'dtherein from said troughs to entube such articles, and means for severing the strips intermediate the articles entubed therein, together with means for closing the severed ends of the portions of said strips in which articles are entubed, said connecting means comprising a heater associated with the severing means, said strips being provided with thermo-plastic adapted for sealing engagement by said heater.

4. In a multiple lane wrapping machine, the combination with a plurality of pairs of laterally spaced pressure belts and work supports between said pressure belts to which said belts are approximately normal, of article delivering troughs inclined toward the respective supports, common conveyor means vfor propelling articlesalong the respective troughs toward said supports, means for delivering strips of wrapping material across the ends of the respective troughs toward said supports, said wrapping material being drawn by the opposed belts in channeled form across -said troughs to receive articles propelled along the troughs toward the supports, folding plates above the supports with which the margins of the wrapping strips are engaged for the folding thereof above the articles deposited therein, means for sealing the margins of the strips to entube such articles, and common means for severing the tubed wrapping strips intermediate the articles entubed therein.

5. In a wrapping machine having a wrapping table, troughs inclined with respect to the wrapping table, means for drawing a plurality of wrapping strips, over the ends of the respective troughs whereby to tube such strips to receive work piecesdelivered through said troughs, thecombination of an overheadconveyor including lugs individual to the respective troughs forpropel- .ling work therethroughin timed relation to the .movement of said strips, mechanism for synchronizing the operation of said conveyor and the conveyor=-having lugs associated with qthegree spective troughs for the positive propulsion of work pieces into the channeled wrapping strips, an-infeed conveyor belt having a surface adapted 'frictionally' to propel .work pieces placed, thereon, an overhead support across said belt, a setof partition strips defining guide channelslongitudinally of said belt for delivering successive work pieces toward said troughs.

7. The combination recited in claim 6 in further combination with gate means normally positioned to intercept work pieces moving between the respective guide partitions for the transverse alignmentof such work pieces upon said belt, and mechanism for retracting said gate means in synch-ronism with the operation of said conveyor lugs whereby to assure the movement of respective:

vice, of means comprising a rotary brush located immediately beyond the cut-off device in the direction of work advance and cooperating with one of said conveyor means for holding work thereto.

9. In a wrapping machine having means for entubing successive work pieces in a, continuous i wrapper, a work receiving conveyor spaced from said entubing means, and a cut-ofi device intervening in the space between the conveyor-and the entubing means and synchronized to cut the wrapper intermediate successive work pieces entubed therein, the combination with saidconfeeding of said strips, and means for-delivering separatework piecesto theseveral troughs for vconcurrentpropulsion ,along, the .troughs, said .last named means comprising. aconveyor belt haying a surfaoeadapted for frictional propulssion ofwork pieces resting thereon, guides estab- .lishingpathsof work piece movementalong said belt, in substantial parallelism toward the respective troughs, starting gate means for;arrest- :the vconveyor first mentioned to that the work pieces will be engaged properly by theseveral lugs ,for concurrentpropulsion-positively through their respective troughs-in synchronism-with the strip advance toward the 'point of work piece deli-very thereto.

6. In a wrapping machine havingia wrapping table, sidebelts movable in pairs-along-said table, work piece delivering troughs inclined with respect to said "table, means fordelivering wrapping strips across, the ends of said troughs and between: said" belts, wherebyvtobechanneled vvon m id ta ,-v the :combination withzan; overhead veyor, of a rotary brush disposed immediately above said conveyor and adjacent said cut-off device and provided with means rotating it in a direction to hold successive work pieces andtheir -entubingwrapper sections to said conveyor as -such'wrapper sections are severed.

10."The combination with a pair of laterally "spaced propelling belts and a conveyor surface along which said .belts are movable, of a feed means inclined respecting said table, means for delivering a wrapper strip across the end of said the margins of the wrapper for entubine, the

spaced work pieces in the wrapper, supports adjacentthe belts movable to and from each other laterally, pleating fingers carried by the supports, means for actuatinng the fingers in synchronism with the advance of the wrapper for pleating engagement with the sides of the wrapper intermediate the work pieces entubed therein, c'ut-ofi means for flattening the pleated wrapper portions and for severing such portions intermediate successive work pieces, and a conveyor adapted to receive the severed wrapper sec tubed in severed wrapper sections toward said conveyor.

11. 'In..a-machine of the character described; the combination with a conveyor for lateral propelling a work piece entubed in a mapper having flattened and projecting ends, means in the path of work piece movement for folding upwardly the projecting wrapper ends, means in the path of work piece movement for folding over the work piece the wrapper ends previously folded upwardly, means for rendering such ends adhesive to the portion of the wrapper in which the work piece is entubed when said ends are folded thereon, an inverting table to which said conveyor delivers the work piece with its ends adhesively folded over, means for rotating the table to invert the wrapped work piece, arcuate guide means for holding the ends tightly upon the work piece during such inversion, and conveyor means for receiving the inverted work piece, the inverted work piece holding the ends in position pending the setting of the adhesive.

12, In a machine of the character described,

the combination with means for folding wrapper ends over a work piece and rendering them adhesive, of an inverting table, means for propelling the work piece onto the said table, arcuate guide means for holding the ends in place pending inversion of said table and work piece, said table and guide means depositing said work piece in an inverted position in which its weight rests upon said ends to maintain them in position pending the setting of the adhesive.

13. In a device of the character described, the combination with a table and means for propelling a work piece thereover, of means for folding wrapper ends over the Work piece in the course of its propulsion across the table, an inverting table having a work piece receiving surface adapted to receive the work piece from the table first mentioned, means for rotating the inverting table on its axis whereby to invert the work piece, guide means for holding the ends upon the work piece during the inversion of the inversion table, said inverting table and guide means being adapted to deliver the work piece upside down with its weight resting upon the said ends to maintain them in position.

14. The device of claim 13 in further combination with a turntable upon which the inverted work piece is received, and means for delivering the inverted work piece from the turntable.

15. A wrapping method which comprises printing a web of wrapping material with a plurality of lengthwise series of wrapper designs, slitting said web between the designs of the respective series whereby to provide separate wrapping strips each containing a series of wrapper designs, delivering work pieces at spaced intervals to design-bearing portions of the respective strips, tubing the respective strips concurrently about the respective work pieces, severing the entubed strips-intermediate the designs and work pieces, delivering the several work pieces concurrently in their severed sections of entubed wrapper strips, each of said strips bearing a wrapper design, laterally propelling delivered work pieces and wrapper sections, and completing the folding and sealing of the wrapper sections upon the work pieces in the course of such lateral delivery.

16. In a multiple lane wrapping machine, having a plurality of substantially parallel devices for entubing articles in wrapper strips, each of said devices including laterally spaced feeding and folding conveyors, the combination of means for supplying a broad web of wrapping material, means for slitting said web into wrapper strips during the continuous movement of said web and strips, and means operative upon the strips during continuous movement thereof for laterally spacing the several strips and delivering the spaced strips to the respective devices, the spacing between said strips accommodating the conveyors of said devices.

1'7. In a multiple lane wrapping machine, the combination with a plurality of elongated wrapping devices, each comprising means for the continuous advance of a wrapping strip and the enfolding of successive articles in spaced positions in said strip, means for slitting a broad web into said wrapper strips and laterally spacing the respective strips for delivery simultaneously to the respective devices whereby portions of such strips adjacent in said web will maintain their relative longitudinal positions while advancing in laterally spaced positions through said devices, together with a wrapper strip severing means common to the several devices, and means synchronized with the wrapper strip severing means for delivering articles to be wrapped simultaneously onto the said strips of the several devices in such timed relationship that the web severing means will sever said strips intermediate successive articles in all of the several devices.

18. In a wrapping machine having spaced conveyor means and an intervening cutoff device, one of said conveyor means being adapted to receive partially wrapped work beyond said cutoff device, the combination with said last mentioned conveyor means, of a rotary brush located immediately beyond the cutoif device in the direction of work advance and power operated to cooperate with said last mentioned conveyor means for holding Work thereto.

19. In a wrapping machine which includes a wrapping device, and means for propelling a Wrapper strip thereover and enfolding said strip about an article to be wrapped in the course of wrapper strip movement through said device, the combination with delivery means leading to said device for discharging successive articles on the wrapper strip to be wrapped therein, and including an accumulative feeder having a guideway for successive articles, of means for frictionally urging said articles toward said device, a gate controlling the movement of successive articles toward said device, said gate being normally disposed to block the passage of articles to said device and being provided with means for its .momentary retraction. to permit the passing of a single article, cutofi means for severing the wrapper strip between successive articles, and interconnected operating connections for said cutoff means and said gate retracting means whereby to synchronize the entry of articles into said device with the operation of said cutoff means in order that said cutoff means may operate on said wrapper strip intermediate successive articles enfolded therein.

20. In a multiple lane wrapping machine comprising a plurality of wrapping devices having a common cutoff knife, the combination of a web feed common. to said devices, means for slitting the web into wrapping strips ind v dual to the respective devi es, and means for laterally snacin the respective strips en route to said devices while maintaining their relative positions in the direct on of strip movement, whereby labels printed on said web may be properly synchronized with thecutoff means common to the several devices, together with means for feeding work pieces tothe several wrapping devices simultaneously at predetermined intervals, and means for synchronizing said feeding means to 17 the operation of the common cutoff means whereby said devices will sever the respective wrapper strips intermediate the work pieces en.- folded therein in the several devices, said feeding means comprising cumulating guideways for rows of work pieces for delivery to the respective devices, means urging the work pieces in the respective guideways toward the respective devices, gate means restraining the foremost work piece in each guideway, and means for simultaneously releasing the gate means of the several guideways for the simultaneous delivery of a work piece from each guideway to a respective folding device.

21. The device of claim 20 in which the means for laterally spacing the respective strips, comprises a first guide for each strip, the respective guides having surfaces slightly oblique at obtuse angles to each other at something less than 90 degrees with respect to the original paths of travel of the respective strips, whereby the strips, in passing about such surfaces, deviate angularly from each other, and second guides .for each strip, the respective second guides having guiding surfaces substantially parallel to the guiding surfaces of the guide first mentioned but about which the respective strips pass in opposite directions whereby such strips are restored to substantial parallelism in mutually spaced relation.

22. In a wrapping .machine having a plurality of lines of wrapping apparatus, a feeder of the character described comprising a conveyor belt approximately equal to the combined width of the several lines of wrapping apparatus, said belt having a delivery end extending toward said apparatus, guide means adjacent to the delivery end of the belt defining a plurality of paths of work piece travel in substantial alignment with the several lines of wrapping apparatus, a preceding portion of said belt being open for the deposit of work pieces thereon, gate means adjacent the delivery end of the belt, means beyond the gate means providing guide channels leading to the respective lines of Wrapping apparatus, synchronized conveyor means including propelling fingers operating along the respective channels for propelling individually toward the respective lines of wrapping apparatus work pieces spaced in said channels, and means for intermittently opening said gate means for the delivery of individual work pieces urged toward said gate means by the friction of the belt travelling therebeneath, whereby to discharge from said belt individual work pieces at intervals spaced for the propulsion of such individual work pieces by the arms of the conveyor.

23. In a wrapping machine having a plurality of parallel wrapping devices, means for feeding separate wrapping strips to the said devices, and a cutter common to said devices for severing said strips at corresponding points, a feeder comprising the combination with guide means providing parallel lanes aligned with respective wrapping devices, of a work piece advancing conveyor having lugs on the respective lanes for delivering successive work pieces concurrently through the several lanes to the respective devices for wrapping, a feeding conveyor common to the several lanes and upon which work pieces are deposited at random for delivery through said lanes, guides above the feeding conveyor leading to said lanes, and means for transferring work pieces in synchronism from the feeding conveyor to the conveyor first mentioned. said means including starting gate means with which several work pieces controlled by said guides on the feeding conveyor are concurrentlyengageable, and means having driving connections synchronized with said lugs for retracting said gate means for the simultaneous release of the several work pieces to be concurrently propelled by said lugs to respective devices.

24. In a multiple lane wrapping machine having means for feeding a plurality of articles along adjacent paths, means for feeding a broad Wrapping web upon which individual wrapper designs are printed in adjacent series, and means for slitting said web into separate strips each containing a series of wrapper designs, the combination with means for laterally spacing the strips in the course of their advance, of means for wrapping portions of the respective strips about the successive articles fed upon respective paths, and means for cutting the respective strips between articles wrapped thereon, the lateral spacing means comprising pairs of guides defining paths of travel of substantially uniform length for the respective strips, the guides of each pair being complementary as to angle to leave the strips parallel, and the angles of guides of a particular pairbeing diverse from the angles of the guides of another pair for laterally spacing the several strips to accommodate the wrapping means respectively active on portions thereof.

SAMUEL J. CAMPBELL.

REFERENCES 'CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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